Mair also said it had been a “joy” working with the PM team, although he couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye instead signing off his email with: “I hate saying goodboo. Sorry…goodbee. No…goodbiy. Dammit. I still can’t say it.”

Paddy O’Connell will be guest-presenting PM on Thursday and Carolyn Quinn on Friday. A full-time replacement for Mair has yet to be announced.

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Read Eddie Mair’s full column in the new issue of Radio Times magazine, on sale from Tuesday